Security Issues: The EU Plans to Create an Alternative to Starlink.

The European Union has begun work on its own satellite network called Iris2, which aims to provide encrypted global Internet connectivity. A budget of €10.6 billion is planned for this project. Bloomberg reported this.

Specifically, €6 billion will be provided by the EU, €4.1 billion by private companies, and €550 million by the European Space Agency. The network is expected to be fully operational by 2030.

Contracts for the creation of Iris2 have been signed by Luxembourg's SES SA, France's Eutelsat SA, and Spain's Hispasat SA. A total of 290 satellites are planned to be deployed, serving European governments, military, and private clients. Some of the capacity will be reserved for government needs, while the remainder will be available for commercial clients.

The project will be implemented in the form of a public-private partnership. The EU considers the creation of Iris2 an important step in reducing dependence on private companies like Starlink, which currently has over 6,000 satellites and operates in approximately 100 countries.

The EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, emphasized that the launch of Iris2 is important for the security of the EU, especially in the context of threats such as Russia's jamming of navigation signals. He stressed that communication is critically important in times of war.

The EU claims that they need their own solutions to ensure sovereignty and independence. While Starlink is already actively used by the Ukrainian army, the EU prefers strong control over its own communications, regardless of large international players.

SES's CEO, Adel Al-Saleh, explained that the Iris2 contract creates favorable conditions for the development of European companies. He noted that cooperation with the EU, which is an important customer, will allow competition with major players like Starlink by utilizing satellites in higher orbits.

Iris2 - A Strategic Project for the EU

Iris2 is a strategic project for the EU aimed at ensuring security, independence, and stability of communication in the face of modern challenges.

It should be noted that SpaceX received a contract from the Pentagon to expand Ukraine's access to a more secure, militarized version of its Starlink satellite network. As part of the contract, 2,500 Starlink terminals already in Ukraine will gain access to Starshield - a secret and encrypted signal via Starlink, making it more difficult to hack or jam. This adds to the 500 terminals that were previously connected to Starshield.